Objective: To enhance our understanding of the Dust Bowl through exploring the environmental impact of different farming techniques and examining soil conservation.
Colorado Model Content Standards: High School
Standard 3: Benchmark 6: changes in an ecosystem can affect biodiversity and biodiversity contributes to an ecosystem's dynamic equilibrium.
Standard 4: Benchmark 4: there are costs, benefits, and consequences of natural resource exploration, development, and consumption (Soil being a natural resource).
Middle School
Standard 3: Benchmark 11: changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms, populations, and entire species.
Standard 4: Benchmark 2: humans use renewable and nonrenewable resources (for example: renewable forests and nonrenewable soil)
Resources: ·DVD “Surviving the Dust Bowl” available at PBS Video (and device to show DVD) ·Computers with internet access (1 per student or group)
Time: 2 class periods or 1 block
Process: Before Watching “Surviving the Dust Bowl”
Have students identify the five-state region known as the Dust Bowl on a map of the United States and compile information about the terrain, general weather patterns, sources of water, and economic activity (farming, ranching, etc.)
Have students recall everything they know about the Dust Bowl? Make connections to what they have learned about it in language arts, social studies, and math.
View “Surviving the Dust Bowl”
Stop the video as needed to point out facts or points of interest
After Watching
Agriculture involves reducing the diversity of a given ecosystem and therefore must be heavily controlled in order for the system to remain stable. As we have learned through the video, farming practices and drought were the principal factors that caused massive soil erosion which led to the Dust Bowl. Now explore different kinds of soil erosion and methods to prevent or control erosion.
Students will explore various kinds of erosion using the provided link (TutorVista: Soil Erosion). A computer with internet access is needed for this portion of the activity. Students may work individually or in small groups.
After looking through the page a few minutes, have students answer the following question. The response should be a complete paragraph that includes an introduction (basic answer), 2 supporting details or facts, and a conclusion.
Question:
Based on your knowledge of the Dust Bowl, the video, and information provided by this webpage, what type of erosion was the primary contributing factor that created the Dust Bowl? Please answer in a complete paragraph that includes details. Rubric 5 Point Answer
Student or group concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. At least 2 details or facts are provided. This may include: farmers used techniques that did not work well in the Plain States which led to barren fields that wind picked up when rain did not arrive, farmers planted crops that needed lots of water (water intensive) and when the drought occurred crops died leading to barren fields that wind picked up, or upon harvesting farmers tilled up barren soil which wind picked up (they did not leave the harvested crops roots and stocks to hold the soil down). Any other logical details or facts are acceptable. Student should include a conclusion of the paragraph.
3 Point Answer Student or group correctly concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. Supporting details are weak and incomplete or the paragraph is not fully developed.
OR
Student or group identifies another form of erosion as the primary contributing factor. However, their supporting details are fully developed and the paragraph is properly structured.
1 Point Answer Student or group concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. No effort was made to construct a supporting paragraph.
0 Point Answer
Completely wrong answer is provided.
3.After the paragraphs are collected, have students or groups revisit the provided webpage. This time have students focus on the section that deals with prevention and control of soil erosion. After students have reviewed this section, discuss these controlling methods as a class or in groups. If time permits have students find picture examples of each using the internet. Show the best examples to the class and discuss the pictures.
Resources and Citation: WGBH, PBS (2009). Surviving the dust bowl. Retrieved July 16, 2009, from American Experience Web site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/index.html
(2008). Environment and its problems. Retrieved July 16, 2009, from Tutorvista.com Web site: http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-ii/environment-and-environmental-problems/soil-erosion.php
Objective:
To enhance our understanding of the Dust Bowl through exploring the environmental impact of different farming techniques and examining soil conservation.
Colorado Model Content Standards:
High School
Standard 3: Benchmark 6: changes in an ecosystem can affect biodiversity and biodiversity contributes to an ecosystem's dynamic equilibrium.
Standard 4: Benchmark 4: there are costs, benefits, and consequences of natural resource exploration, development, and consumption (Soil being a natural resource).
Middle School
Standard 3: Benchmark 11: changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms, populations, and entire species.
Standard 4: Benchmark 2: humans use renewable and nonrenewable resources (for example: renewable forests and nonrenewable soil)
Resources:
· DVD “Surviving the Dust Bowl” available at PBS Video (and device to show DVD)
· Computers with internet access (1 per student or group)
Time:
2 class periods or 1 block
Process:
Before Watching “Surviving the Dust Bowl”
View “Surviving the Dust Bowl”
After Watching
- Agriculture involves reducing the diversity of a given ecosystem and therefore must be heavily controlled in order for the system to remain stable. As we have learned through the video, farming practices and drought were the principal factors that caused massive soil erosion which led to the Dust Bowl. Now explore different kinds of soil erosion and methods to prevent or control erosion.
- Students will explore various kinds of erosion using the provided link (TutorVista: Soil Erosion). A computer with internet access is needed for this portion of the activity. Students may work individually or in small groups.
- After looking through the page a few minutes, have students answer the following question. The response should be a complete paragraph that includes an introduction (basic answer), 2 supporting details or facts, and a conclusion.
Question:Based on your knowledge of the Dust Bowl, the video, and information provided by this webpage, what type of erosion was the primary contributing factor that created the Dust Bowl? Please answer in a complete paragraph that includes details.
Rubric
5 Point Answer
Student or group concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. At least 2 details or facts are provided. This may include: farmers used techniques that did not work well in the Plain States which led to barren fields that wind picked up when rain did not arrive, farmers planted crops that needed lots of water (water intensive) and when the drought occurred crops died leading to barren fields that wind picked up, or upon harvesting farmers tilled up barren soil which wind picked up (they did not leave the harvested crops roots and stocks to hold the soil down). Any other logical details or facts are acceptable. Student should include a conclusion of the paragraph.
3 Point Answer
Student or group correctly concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. Supporting details are weak and incomplete or the paragraph is not fully developed.
OR
Student or group identifies another form of erosion as the primary contributing factor. However, their supporting details are fully developed and the paragraph is properly structured.
1 Point Answer
Student or group concludes that wind erosion was the primary contributing factor that caused the Dust Bowl. No effort was made to construct a supporting paragraph.
0 Point Answer
Completely wrong answer is provided.
3. After the paragraphs are collected, have students or groups revisit the provided webpage. This time have students focus on the section that deals with prevention and control of soil erosion. After students have reviewed this section, discuss these controlling methods as a class or in groups. If time permits have students find picture examples of each using the internet. Show the best examples to the class and discuss the pictures.
Resources and Citation:
WGBH, PBS (2009). Surviving the dust bowl. Retrieved July 16, 2009, from American Experience Web site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/index.html
(2008). Environment and its problems. Retrieved July 16, 2009, from Tutorvista.com Web site:
http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-ii/environment-and-environmental-problems/soil-erosion.php